Three Lessons On How To Build A Positive, Long-Term Reputation In Times Of Crisis
Coronavirus has captured the headlines for the past three months. It has received not only the complete attention of the World Health Organization (WHO) but also governments across six continents. While this crisis has yet to slow down, it has revealed lessons in building a long-term reputation for public and corporate communications professionals.
North and Southeast Asia were the first to be impacted. As communications measurement professionals located in this region, my team and I recently released case studies on some of the most reputable brands fighting coronavirus in Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand, based on mainstream media reporting and social media conversations on the novel coronavirus.
Here’s what today’s communications professionals can learn from these crisis management and reputation insights:
1. Build a positive reputation with a data-driven strategy.
It isn’t easy to create a combat plan when a crisis changes every day. But regularly updating your target audience with insights from the changing situation and follow-up mitigation steps can provide much-needed breathing space for the crisis plan.
An admirable example of an evolving data-driven crisis strategy that builds a better reputation comes from the Singapore government’s handling of coronavirus. WHO praised Singapore for leaving no stone unturned when reporting new cases and adopting a data-driven contact tracing strategy to identify others.
Data analysis of developing crises also helps people and organizations take timely actions to put the right policies in place for the future. While observing emerging data on the rising number of cases in the U.K., the government recently passed the Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 to help authorities with the power to restrict people at risk of spreading the virus enforce appropriate quarantine procedures.
As communicators keep a close eye on developing data, they should not feel any shame in accepting that a crisis is still unfolding and that the mitigation plan comes from emerging insights. Early but confident communication on a growing crisis signals that you are authentic in the way you reach out to your audience. Sharing learnings from past data on a similar crisis also assist in creating a robust combat plan that positively impacts reputation.
2. Stick to the core of your internal culture.
Companies that adapt their offerings to suit a crisis can boost their reputation for the long-term. As a result, employees feel that they are helping with the crisis situation and stand tall with their companies.
Such a positive culture was displayed in heaps by the ride-hailing services provided by Grab, Gojek and Didi, which offered to drive home health care workers fighting coronavirus. While ride-hailing drivers are technically part of these companies, even they felt a sense of purpose helping health care workers return home to their loved ones after another hard day of fighting the crisis.
Airlines are losing billions of dollars amid this crisis. AirAsia relied on their safety procedures and disciplined cabin crew to bring home stranded nationals from Wuhan. Thinking about outside communities that may not be part of your target audience and providing assistance through your products or services not only boosts employee morale but also generates a positive momentum within your organizational culture.
Inspiring leadership is equally important to the core of your internal culture. In the government sector, Singapore’s leadership displayed solidarity in its culture by offering a bonus for public officers on the front lines fighting the crisis. At the same time, the members of the parliament took one-month pay cuts. Significant steps by leadership teams can help inject a wave of positivity within the organization and improve the company’s reputation in the eyes of its employees.
3. Put the customer’s interests first.
Reputable companies find creative ways to meet their end goal of putting customers first, even during times of crisis. They often draw from previous crisis experiences that reflect resilience.
For example, KFC, McDonald’s and Starbucks offered “contactless” pickup and delivery to ensure that customers can still enjoy their food services without risking their health and safety. Drawing resilient learnings from war and epidemics, JD.com leveraged emerging technologies to employ drones to deliver groceries to the affected areas. Keeping customers first, in turn, helps companies attain top-of-mind status among their customers. It also increases customer interaction and helps companies further understand customer challenges during a crisis.
With the potential vaccine at least a year away, controlling the coronavirus outbreak boils down to governments and corporations working together. But, as with any crisis, those who develop an evolving, data-driven crisis strategy, strong internal culture and customer-first delivery will not only help society cope better but also emerge with a positive reputation after the dust settles.
Post written by Prashant Saxena Head of Insights, Asia at Isentia; Vice-chair, APAC for AMEC (International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication) and published on Forbes: https://bit.ly/3bE8xlp
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In our last update, housing coverage centred on advice for mortgage holders amid rising rates and cost-of-living pressures. In this second release of the series, the conversation has shifted, with news increasingly framing Australia’s housing challenge through construction, innovation, and government action. Reports highlight fast-tracked developments, AI-powered modular builds, and reforms to cut red tape, alongside community-driven projects in Nhulunbuy and pressures on urban infrastructure, showing that solving the crisis requires building both faster and smarter. The patterns in coverage reveal which stories and policy levers are gaining traction, and how different angles from scale and efficiency to localised community impact are shaping the wider conversation.
Government policy is driving much of this coverage, shaping the narratives that dominate media discussion. First-home buyer programs such as the Home Guarantee (5% Deposit Scheme), Help to Buy, and Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee are frequently cited, alongside social and affordable housing initiatives including the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, NSW’s $610 million Social Housing Accelerator Fund, and state-level projects in Toowoomba and Wagga Wagga. Coverage of supply-side reforms, Melbourne high-rise plans, and debates over negative gearing, capital gains, and rental caps illustrates how policy and regulation frame public debate. Across outlets and regions, the way these stories are told signals which elements of housing policy are resonating, which have momentum, and where attention is likely to shift next.
Where previous reporting centred on interest rates and mortgage advice, a calm, and financial “top-down” discussion, the shift to construction and reform places the emphasis on system-level solutions. Yet, as before, a gap remains between media coverage and social discourse.
On social media, the conversation continues to unfold as a “bottom-up” outcry. This month, debates over housing affordability and accessibility have been increasingly framed through immigration. Political groups such as Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and the Family First Party Australia are amplifying anti-immigration narratives on X and Facebook, claiming that new arrivals are the direct cause of housing stress. These messages are countered by voices rejecting both the logic and the racism seen to underpin such rhetoric, instead pointing to investors as the real drivers of market pressures and reframing housing as a human right. Demonstrations such as March for Australia have further fuelled this dynamic, with slogans tying immigration to Labor, raising the risk of political damage.
The conversation shows right-leaning voices continue to dominate online, with more balanced perspectives struggling for visibility. Policy proposals like a “bedroom tax” appear to have amplified anxieties about population growth, giving further oxygen to anti-immigration claims.
Layered over this, the Reserve Bank’s three rate cuts in recent months have become a fresh point of contention. Some argue that lower rates are simply inflating house prices, benefiting existing homeowners while worsening conditions for would-be buyers and savers deepening the perception of a system stacked against the public.
While the media is foregrounding structural solutions to increase supply, public discourse is still driven by frustration, identity politics, and competing narratives of blame. Solving the housing crisis will not only require practical reforms but also careful navigation of the volatile public conversation that risks overshadowing those solutions.
Housing narratives in the media and online: Building solutions, blaming people
In our last update, housing coverage centred on advice for mortgage holders amid rising rates and cost-of-living pressures. In this second release of the series, the conversation has shifted, with news increasingly framing Australia’s housing challenge through construction, innovation, and government action. Reports highlight fast-tracked developments, AI-powered modular builds, and reforms to cut red tape, […]
How is media coverage shaping views of Brisbane 2032 and its global impact?
The stories that resonate, whether it is a stadium cost blowout, a community campaign to preserve green space, or the push to include Australian Rules Football in the program, capture how Australians are gearing up for a once-in-a-generation Games. These specific, contested, and human stories shape the narratives across news and social media and ultimately reflect how the country is experiencing and remembering Brisbane 2032.
Leading Topics: News vs. social
The difference is while the news media is overwhelmingly concerned with the logistics of the Games, the public is more interested in its social and economic consequences.
On social media, the conversation is a mix of excitement and concern, with a strong focus on what the Games will feel like. Discussions about social impact and economic outcomes are prominent, as people debate everything from housing affordability to the potential for new community arts programs.
In the news, the narrative is far more narrow. An incredible amount of the coverage is dedicated to infrastructure, with a particular focus on the cost and controversy surrounding the main stadium. The second-largest topic is the political jousting that accompanies these infrastructure debates.
The most discussed stakeholders are institutions and communities, not individuals
While politicians dominate the news, what's making a real impact on social media are the communities and institutions at the heart of the conversation.
In the news, the most-quoted voices around Brisbane 2032 are overwhelmingly political figures, led by the Queensland Premier and Deputy Premier. Much of the coverage has centred on Premier Crisafulli’s media appearances, including a notable stop at Rockhampton’s Fitzroy River to promote plans for a feasibility study into using the site for rowing events despite concerns about crocodiles and currents.
The Deputy Premier, meanwhile, has been most prominent for his push to build a new stadium at Victoria Park. That proposal has fuelled debate over whether Brisbane 2032 is shifting away from being a sporting project to a political land grab. The discussion is further sharpened by Queensland’s reported shortage of tradies, with calls for urgent measures to recruit more skilled workers to meet the surge in construction and infrastructure demand tied to the Games.
Even Donald Trump makes an appearance in the coverage, with Brisbane’s bid to host the Quad Leaders’ Summit drawing headlines and gaining the support of Prime Minister Albanese.
On social media, the conversation is being shaped largely by organisations and grassroots communities. Victoria Park, now at the centre of the stadium debate, has become a focal point for how people see the legacy of Brisbane 2032, and Queensland more broadly. Campaigns to preserve the green space are gaining traction, amplified both by smaller local outlets such as The Westender and by national publications including ABC and The Guardian.
Defining "legacy": The public hopes and media narratives
The term "legacy" represents the most significant challenge in the Brisbane 2032 narrative, as the data reveals a mismatch between the public's focus on experience and the media's framing of cost and conflict.
On social media, the legacy conversation is aspirational and driven by the sporting theme, where discussions about preserving green spaces like Victoria Park highlight a desire for tangible, long-term community benefits. Other cities are also seizing the aspirational momentum of events like Brisbane 2032, with figures such as Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate using social media to highlight for hyper-local audiences the potential returns on investing in this opportunity. News coverage frames legacy as a political and economic undertaking, dominated by the cost of stadiums, the allocation of funding, and the political conflict between the government and its opposition.
Framing the use of the Fitzroy River as an opportunity for sustainability or presenting construction timelines as local job creation makes the connection between political debates and the community and sporting outcomes people truly care about more resonant, while also painting a positive vision for the legacy of Brisbane 2032.
Specificity wins: Vague PR is ignored, detailed stories drive engagement
Generic ‘good news’ posts or Olympic press tend to generate weaker engagement The content that captures public attention is highly specific, and often human-centric or controversial.
On social media, the most engaging content included the debate around HYROX judging standards, the passionate campaign to include Lawn Bowls in the games, and celebrating the specific achievements of individual swimmers.
In the news, it’s not the general updates that resonate, but detailed reports, whether on cost blowouts at specific venues, the impact of turning a local river into an Olympic event site, or the campaign to include Australian Rules Football in the program.
Media moments and narratives gain traction when meaning is applied. Shift content strategies from generalities to detailed storytelling, focus on journeys, the tangible impact of a new community facility, or a transparent explanation of a complex issue for example. The battle for the hearts and minds of the public ahead of Brisbane 2032 will be won in these details.
See how the right analysis can help you anticipate risks, shape messaging and connect with your audiences. Request a free demo.
Winning the Brisbane 2032 narrative: A media analysis
How is media coverage shaping views of Brisbane 2032 and its global impact? The stories that resonate, whether it is a stadium cost blowout, a community campaign to preserve green space, or the push to include Australian Rules Football in the program, capture how Australians are gearing up for a once-in-a-generation Games. These specific, contested, […]
Every stakeholder relationship is different, and managing them effectively takes more than a one-size-fits-all approach.
From campaign planning to long-term engagement, having the right tools and strategy in place can make the difference between missed connections and meaningful impact.
This guide covers:
Identifying and understanding your key stakeholders
Mapping and modelling for influence and engagement
Equipping your team to maintain and grow strategic relationships
